Religion News: Religion remains strong indicator of political affiliation in U.S.

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By More Content Now

Wellington Daily News - Wellington, KS

By More Content Now

Posted Jul. 31, 2014 at 1:01 AM

By More Content Now

Posted Jul. 31, 2014 at 1:01 AM

Week in Religion

The relationship between religion and political party identification has remained consistent since 2008, according to a recent Gallup Poll. Americans who are very religious are more likely to identify with the Republican Party as compared to those who are moderately religious or nonreligious.

Of the “very religious” — defined as those who say religion plays an important part in their daily lives and attend services weekly or almost weekly — almost half, 49 percent, identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, with 36 percent indicating a lean or identification with the Democratic Party and 11 percent as independent.

Nonreligious respondents — those who seldom or never attend services and do not consider religion an important part of their lives — leaned 52 percent as Democratic, 29 percent as Republican and 15 percent as independent.

An exception to the relationship between religion and political affiliation is seen in black Americans. That demographic group identifies as Democratic at about 75 percent, regardless of religion grouping.

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The Word

Ka’bah: Pronounced “KAH-bah.” A large cube-shaped house of worship that Muslims believe was built in Mecca by Abraham and Ishmael. Muslims around the world face the Ka’bah when they pray, and circle it several times as a rite of hajj.

— ReligionStylebook.com

Religion Around the World

According to the CIA World Factbook, the religious makeup of Japan is:

- Shinto, 83.9 percent

- Buddhist, 71.4 percent

- Christian, 2 percent

- Other, 7.8 percent

Note: Total exceeds 100 percent because many people belong to to Shintoism and Buddhism.